1. This is an example
of a presentation
designed by a pupil
(with added notes).
A Rite of Passage
Colour scheme and how legible the text is are
both very important things to consider – how
easy is your presentation to read?

2. Points to consider:
• How do I make sure that I include information on all the
topics on page 2 of my booklet?
• How do I go about comparing the modern religion’s practices
with Roman ones? Should I use a separate slide, or do it on
each slide that I use?
• How much information should I include on each slide?

3. My Presentation
This presentation is about the comparison
between a rite of passage in the time of the
Romans with a religion today. The rite of
passage I will be comparing is birth in the
Christian religion and birth in the time of the
Romans.
An introduction is a useful
way to explain to your
audience what your
presentation is about

4. A Roman Baby is born
In the Roman times when a child was born they
were immediately bathed by it’s nurse and then
carried to its father and placed at his feet. It was
the father’s choice if he wanted to keep the child
or not. If the father took the child into his arms,
it showed he accepted full responsibility for its
upbringing. If the baby was ill or wasn’t wanted the
father would leave the baby at his feet. This meant
that the baby was not accepted, it was then
abandoned and left to die.
Remember – keep your text short! The audience doesn’t have time to
read an essay on each slide!

5. The Naming Ceremony
If the child was accepted, it was named at a
ceremony, eight days after its birth, if it was a girl,
nine days after its birth, if it was a boy. In this
ceremony the baby was given a bulla, a lucky charm.
It was necessary in the case of Roman citizens to
register a child’s birth within thirty days.
This amount of text is just about okay. Think about pictures
– they are a good way of capturing your audience’s attention
and helping them to remember your point.

6. Sound and Animation…
“Woohoo! We get to make things move and make
funny noises!”
Or not. While animation and sound (if you know how to use
them) can help hold your audience’s attention, they do get a bit
tiring after a while.
Tip: Don’t use every animation possible. Keep it simple and
consistent all the way through.

7. What happens today?
The birth of a Roman baby is
very different compared to a
birth of a child nowadays. In Cross1
Christianity when a baby is
born it is immediately accepted
into the family. The baby can
be named when ever the parents
have decided on one. In
Christianity there is a ceremony
called a baptism. In the baptism
A good introductory slide.
the child is welcomed into the
Simple text and the picture
religion.
makes clear what is being
talked about.

8. What happens in the Baptism?
The baptism takes place in a Church, around the font. This is like a bowl
on a stand. It holds the water for the baptism. Its position near the
Church entrance, symbolises that baptism is the door through which
babies pass to become members of the Church. During the service the
baby is sprinkled with water three times as a symbol of forgiveness. The
clothes of the baby are removed and it is submerged beneath the water.
As the baby is too young to speak fot itself, two godparents and the
Althoughspeakpupil has broken up the information with well-placed
parents this on its behalf. During the service they are asked three
animation, by the priest LOT of text.make promises on asleep yet? child.
questions this is still a and in reply Have you fallen behalf of the
Then as the priest makes the sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead
with water, he or she says. “ I baptise you in the name of the Father, and
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The priest may then give the child’s
parents a lighted candle, saying to them: “This is to show that you have
passed from darkness to light,” to which the congregation replies: “Shine
as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.”
Each member of the congregation takes on the responsibility of helping
to bring up the child in the Christian faith by surrounding him or her with
their love.

9. baptism
Ah ha! Pictures. Nice ones, too. Perhaps these
could have helped to break up the text?

10. Conclusion
There is a very big difference between a
birth of a Roman child and a birth of a child
today. The Roman attitude differs from ours
because nowadays no matter what sex the
baby is or if it has a disability it is never
abandoned and left to die. Roman babies were
usually born to support the Roman empire.
This pupil leaves comparison to the end. What
exactly does she compare here? Is there anything
missing?

11. I hope you
enjoyed my
presentation!
Right – now go and see if you can do better!